India: victims of Gujarat pogrom found, mass grave

Some of the
many missing victims of the anti-Muslim pogrom in the Indian
state of Gujarat in 2002 were uncovered in a mass grave late
last month in the village of Pandharwada. Relatives of the
victims dug up the remains of about 20 bodies that had been
dumped and buried in an unmarked pit.

Nearly four years
after the communal violence, the villagers are still seeking
to expose what happened. No one has been convicted for any
of the killings that took place. The relatives of the dead
are accusing the police of hiding evidence and protecting
the perpetrators.

The riot in Pandharwada was part of
orchestrated communal violence against Muslims across the
state in March 2002, following the death of 58 Hindu
extremists in a train fire at Godhra in late February. Egged
on by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state government,
gangs of Hindu fanatics attacked innocent Muslims. Local
police stood by as homes and businesses were burnt down and
their occupants beaten and killed. At least 2,000 people
died in the riots.

In the case of Pandharwada, the Hindu
extremist Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) held a series of
meetings in the area. A coordinated attack was made by mobs
from several nearby villages who descended on Pandharwada to
attack the 70 Muslims who lived in the town and loot their
businesses and homes. At least 34 people were killed in the
violence.

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